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off as prisoners most of the inhabitants。 Shortly afterwards we
find him a participant in warfare of a less ignoble type。 In 1706
he went to France and became an ensign in a regiment of
grenadiers。 Those were the days when Marlborough was hammering
and destroying the armies of Louis XIV。 La Verendrye； took part
in the last of the series of great battles； the bloody conflict
at Malplaquet in 1709。 He received a bullet wound through the
body； was left for dead on the field； fell into the hands of the
enemy； and for fifteen months was a captive。 On his release he
was too poor to maintain himself as an officer in France and soon
returned to Canada； where he served as an officer in a colonial
regiment until the peace of 1713。 Then the ambitious young man；
recently married； with a growing family and slight resources； had
to work out a career suited to his genius。
His genius was that of an explorer； his task； which fully
occupied his alert mind； was that of finding the long dreamed of
passage to the Western Sea。 The venture certainly offered
fascinations。 Noyon； a fellow…townsman of La Verendrye at Three
Rivers； had brought back from the distant Lake of the Woods； in
1716； a glowing account； told to him by the natives； of walled
cities； of ships and cannon； and of white…bearded men who lived
farther west。 In 1720 the Jesuit Charlevoix； already familiar
with Canada； came out from France； went to the Mississippi
country； and reported that an attempt to find the path to the
Western Sea might be made either by way of the Missouri or
farther north through the country of the Sioux west of Lake
Superior。 Both routes involved going among warlike native tribes
engaged in incessant and bloody struggles with each other and not
unlikely to turn on the white intruder。 Memorial after memorial
to the French court for assistance resulted at last in serious
effort； but effort handicapped because the court thought that a
monopoly of the fur trade was the only inducement required to
promote the work of discovery。
La Verendrye was more eager to reach the Western Sea than he was
to trade。 To outward seeming； however； he became just a fur
trader and a successful one。 We find him； in 1726； at the
trading…post of Nipigon； not far from the lake of that name； near
the north shore of Lake Superior。 From this point it was not very
difficult to reach the shore of one great sea； Hudson Bay； but
that was not the Western Sea which fired his imagination。
Incessantly he questioned the savages with whom he traded about
what lay in the unknown West。 His zeal was kindled anew by the
talk of an Indian named Ochagach。 This man said that he himself
had been on a great lake lying west of Lake Superior； that out of
it flowed a river westward； that he had paddled down this river
until he came to water which； as La Verendrye understood； rose
and fell like the tide。 Farther； to the actual mouth of the
river； the savage had not gone； for fear of enemies； but he had
been told that it emptied into a great body of salt water upon
the shores of which lived many people。 We may be sure that La
Verendrye read into the words of the savage the meaning which he
himself desired and that in reality the Indian was describing
only the waters which flow into Lake Winnipeg。
La Verendrye was all eagerness。 Soon we find him back at Quebec
stirring by his own enthusiasm the zeal of the Marquis de
Beauharnois； the Governor of Canada； and begging for help to pay
and equip a hundred men for the great enterprise in the West。 The
Governor did what he could but was unable to move the French
court to give money。 The sole help offered was a monopoly of the
fur trade in the region to be explored； a doubtful gift； since it
angered all the traders excluded from the monopoly。 La Verendrye；
however； was able； by promising to hand over most of the profits；
to persuade merchants in Montreal to equip him with the necessary
men and merchandise。
There followed a period of high hopes and of heartbreaking
failure。 In 1731 La Verendrye set out for the West with three
sons； a nephew； a Jesuit priest； the Indian Ochagach as guidea
party numbering in all about fifty。 He intended to build
trading…posts as he went westward and to make the last post
always a base from which to advance still farther。 His
difficulties read like those of Columbus。 His men not only
disliked the hard work which was inevitable but were haunted by
superstitious fears of malignant fiends in the unknown land who
were ready to punish the invaders of their secrets。 The route lay
across the rough country beyond Lake Superior。 There were many
long portages over which his men must carry the provisions and
heavy stores for trade。 At length the party reached Rainy Lake；
and out of Rainy Lake the waters flow westward。 The country
seemed delightful。 Fish and game were abundant； and it was not
hard to secure a rich store of furs。 On the shore of the lake； in
a charming meadow surrounded by oak trees； La Verendrye built a
trading…post on waters flowing to the west； naming it Fort St。
Pierre。
The voyageurs could now travel westward with the current。 It is
certain that other Frenchmen had preceded them in that region；
but this is the first voyage of discovery of which we have any
details。 Escorted by an imposing array of fifty canoes of
Indians； La Verendrye floated down Rainy River to the Lake of the
Woods； and here； on a beautiful peninsula jutting out into the
lake； he built another post； Fort St。 Charles。 It must have
seemed imposing to the natives。 On walls one hundred feet square
were four bastions and a watchtower； evidence of the perennial
need of alertness and strength in the Indian country。 There were
a chapel； houses for the commandant and the priest； a
powder…magazine； a storehouse； and other buildings。 La Verendrye
cleared some land and planted wheat； and was thus the pioneer in
the mighty wheat production of the West。 Fish and game were
abundant and the outlook was smiling。 By this time the second
winter of La Verendrye's adventurous journeying was near； but
even the cold of that hard region could not chill his eagerness。
He himself waited at Fort St。 Charles but his eldest son； Jean
Baptiste； set out to explore still farther。
We may follow with interest the little group of Frenchmen and
Indian guides as they file on snowshoes along the surface of the
frozen river or over the deep snow of the silent forest on； ever
on； to the West。 They are the first white men of whom we have
certain knowledge to press beyond the Lake of the Woods into that
great Northwest so full of meaning for the future。 The going was
laborious and the distances seemed long； for on their return they
reported that they had gone a hundred and fifty leagues； though
in truth the distance was only a hundred and fifty miles。 Then at
last they stood on the shores of a vast body of water； ice…bound
and forbidding as it lay in the grip